Land of the Anasazi, Pueblo, Zuni, Hopi & Navajo. Santa Fe is one of the most unique cities in the US with a history unlike any other part of the US. Pueblo villages in the area date back to 1050. The conquistador don Francisco Vasques de Coronado proclaimed the region the "Kingdom of New Mexico" for the Spanish Crown in 1540. Spanish colonists began settling in the area in 1598 & during the next century were determined to convert & subjugate the native nations. At one time 100000+ lived here.